OutdoorKing Repair Forum Forums Repairs and Maintenance Questions on Engines Questions on Other Engines Wesco 16" Mower Oil Change.

I have just adapted a pair of Sanli wheels to replace the trashed all plastic wheels on this Chonda powered Wesco. I think it's a WS46CCM.

I want to give it an oil change but am not sure how much and what type to put in. Will 15w40 multigrade suffice?
Does anyone know the blades and where to get them?
Thanks.

Conveniently MF, I have the exact same mower. They are a cute little thing, and run well - plus they have swing blades as you have found. Its the same deck as sprinter/victa vantage by the way.

Don't hesitate to put in 15w40 - thats what I put in. Any semi-synth or mineral 15w40 is better than the sludge most of these are forced to endure. Autobarn have 15w40 Nulon for $10 this week - good enough

Also, remember the oil in the foam filter as it is pretty thin foam and practically useless without it - also watch the plastic hinges on the filter housing as they are weak as.

550ml ish capacity - checked by unscrewing the dipstick and bottoming it out like a regular Chonda.

Blades may pose an issue - I thought they were just honda blades, but I think they have a kink in them. Fortunately, mine are near new (it had done stuff all work) so I will try to get to it in the back of the shed either tomorrow or thursday and see how log they are originally.

I distinctly remember looking into it and finding that the blades for a 'Ross' Mower were right. I will have a look through my search history and find them

Looked through a stens parts catalogue and found this. Also says it fits Nupower, Icon, Ross, Rockwell. Based on length and width, looks the same as these - including the model numbers

https://www.gaspares.com.au/products/BNC7652?

Hi Tyler,
it's fortunate that you've got the same machine and could give me excellent info.
The blades described in the first page that comes up in that link to GA spares are the actual ones to fit? Do I need to register to order them or can I make a call to one of the numbers at the bottom to order a set?
I did squeeze bar oil through the foam element before fitting it but it was tricky to keep it located while trying to close the air cleaner cover correctly. I was able to close it without putting strain on the plastic tabs.

I discovered it has no oil showing on the dipstick after I test ran the motor for a few seconds. There was some oil from memory the other day and I can see some when shining a light down the tube, but I should have made sure there was a reading before starting it. It sounded smooth when I ran it.

Do you screw it back down before taking a reading on the oil level? While on the subject, do you do the same with a vertical pull Briggs?

G'day folks,

GA Spares are wholesale only; however if you plug their part numbers into google, that will bring up retailers who stock these.

I can see why Tyler uses the GA Spares website to find aftermarket parts - it's really easy to navigate, and I often do the same.

In order, no and no.
Honda oil levels are checked by unscrewing the dipstick, wiping it, and reinserting it so that it just rests on top of its socket.

Briggs are checked with the dipstick screwed fully home in its socket.

It's just one of those historical things with individual manufacturers - I should add, that Honda's procedure here is consistent across all of their product lines, from small engines through motorcycles to cars.
Has been that way since the 1960s at least - that was the oldest [4-stroke] Honda I ever had. Never owned any of their 2-strokes.

Can't say I have seen a Chonda with blades worn that far before, they are usually like new

Yes MF, they are a sweet running engine once you clean out the emulsion tube and main jet.

I also found the air filter hard to position but it gets there eventually. Its a shame we can't order direct from GA - but it is a good website to work out the parts.

I think its a 118cc? Starts 2nd go most times and vacs up leaves off the lawn well enough

G'day Norm, Tyler and Gadge,


How is the regular punter expected to be on top of this ridiculous nonsense?

2 strokes remove that issue -but start others!

G'day MF,
Well, it's really just an 'RTFM' issue - Read The Flippin' Manual!

RTBM -Read The Blooming Manual is all good for the first owner, but what about scroungers like us who score them for free or buy them used with no documents of any kind?
It seems though that the two main four strokes have their way. Honda/Chonda place in, Briggos screw in.

G'day MF,

Well, that's one of the 'miracles of the interwebs' - these days, if you develop a few Google 'search-fu' keywording skills, manuals for most OPE machines/engines can be found - especially recent production models.

Hi Gadge,

Thinking up the best Keywords can result in mental blocks sometimes and you may only find what you're after when you get it in your head at a random moment when you're away from the screen.

I contacted my local mower outlet today and thanks to Tyler's link to the code for the blades, they were able to quickly place an order on my behalf though GA Spares, who they deal with. It saved me a lot of work. Thanks again Tyler.

To briggs credit. the often have 'thread in to check' - and I am seeing more chondas with a decal on the side saying do not screw in. Try ManualsLib - they are pretty good.

Good to hear your sourced the blades MF. I am going to order a set to keep with mine in case I ever wear the blades out (although I doubt it, but I guess they will be NLA in a few years time as demand dries up).

Hey Tyler,
after ordering the blades I thought to try entering Ross lawnmower in an Ebay search and got this. I'm pretty sure it's compatible. When I had entered Wesco I only got a listing for two pairs from the same brand labelled for Wesco.
Postage is free and they're 50¢ cheaper than what I ordered mine for.


https://www.ebay.com.au/itm/NEW-Byn...-CATCHER-460mm-18-800-802P/123928228027?

Stupid how expensive blades are - I only paid $15 for the entire mower.

Remember picking it up well - had the car filled to the gunwales. Got a Telecom cable reel, a 44gal drum, wesco, 2x whipper snippers, some books, thumblatch catcher and a couple old metal storage boxes for $65 IIRC

A guy was looking at it before me and walked off - he reckoned it had a broken rod - made a clunk when pulling the cord. Slightly loose blade bolt. Valve check, carb clean and it was running fine within 2 hours after I bought it.

G'day Tyler,
Gives one a real sense of achievement when that happens, doesn't it?
I had a similar one a couple of years back - a $10 tip shop Echo SRM200DB straight shaft brushcutter. Had it running in half an hour - all that was preventing it from running, was a muffler blocked solid by mud wasps! Luckily, the piston had closed the exhaust port, so the damn things hadn't got into the barrel.

I hope the wasps weren't in it at the time. How were you able to find the problem so quickly?

I got a mini DV camcorder on the cheap at a charity shop because it was listed as having a faulty viewfinder.
It worked fine when I tried it. Fortunately the lady at the counter let me have it for the price.
I figured it was because there is a strong detent just before you fully extend it and the viewfinder doesn't activate until you do.

G'day MF,
Nah, the actual wasps had departed. It was really obvious, to anyone with any experience with small engine repairs. When I say that it was blocked solid, it really was chockers with mud - right up to the muffler outlet!

I have a Honda GXV120 engine here, that has the same problem, that was on a SupaSwift Big Bob mower I got for $20, as a chassis parts donor.
Don't think I'll bother resurrecting that one, though.

Hi Gadge,


Aren't those engines prized or is that one of those OHC engines?

G'day MF,

Dunno about being 'prized', but this one's the 1980s pushrod OHV engine. This one has been 'rode hard and put away wet' a lot though - rusted up muffler nuts; low and black oil; etc.
Edit: A couple of pics of the 'donor mower'; https://www.outdoorking-forum.com.au/forum/ubbthreads.php/topics/54597/re-vulcan.html#Post54597

I have the well maintained 4hp IC series Briggs from my original Big Bob to use on the 'frankenmower' to be built from the combined bits, so the Honda is excess to requirements, really.

It's so true Gadge most people treat their machines like s*** and this is the result.

B_B was keen to find any OHV Hondas he could recently, but that sounds like one best avoided except for the parts like the starter etc.

I've had those wasps in excess polypipe when stored outside in the corner under the tree - can't see the clog a few inch into the pot.

The best was a 4ft tall retic riser - screwed it on and wouldn't go - unscrewed head and out hops this gecko - ran off and he was fine

Good to hear they didn't get into the barrel

I love my gxv120 Big Bob. Picked it off the curb, and with carby cleans (crud was continually blocking jet), new throttle, air filter, blades, plug, oil, it goes really well. Slashes thick 1-2ft weeds easy

Covered in surface rust, but strong metal still - its one with the extra steel rods to brace the handles to prevent cracks

G'day Tyler,
Yep, they're a good unit, for sure. Capable of achieving a good 'lawn finish' too, if you fit 4 blades.

These past threads on Big Bobs and SupaSwift's history in general may be of interest - the pics of my older Big Bob in the first one show the handle failure mode that the earlier BB's experienced.
https://www.outdoorking-forum.com.au/forum/ubbthreads.php?ubb=showflat&Number=54559

https://www.outdoorking-forum.com.au/forum/ubbthreads.php/topics/63510/1.html

I changed the oil on the Wesco mower and barely two tablespoons worth of black muck poured out.
I gave it a run after giving it gulps of fresh oil and went ok but started blowing smoke after a couple of minutes use. It cleared away when I shut it down and restarted it. Phew!!
Must have slightly over filled it and oil overflowed internally(?).

Another issue is no throttle control. It's either high or shuts down half way back to stop position. Not going to worry about it.

Many of these motors will blow smoke for a while in particular if they have been stood up on their nose so the oil sits up against the back of the piston. Stopping and starting them a few times often clears it

I just had that problem with an old Quantum, it partly rolled off the shed shelf - ended up with the rear wheels on the shelf, and the front wheels off the shelf and the body resting on the shelf.

Smoked really badly and just wouldn't clear up. stopped it and immediately restarted - barely a trace

MF - probably throttle cable adjustment or someone has screwed the idle screw in a fair way - mine idles down to a nice near silent tickover

The blades arrived today. They are easier to remove and fit than Victa as you don't have to apply pressure to the bolt to stop it rotating with the nut as the bolt and bolt hole profile in the blade carrier is semi circle shaped to stop it rotating. A breeze in comparison to the PITA Victa design.

Mower still blew smoke periodically but cut the lawn well. Will have to keep an eye on the oil level.

Good to hear they went on easy

Just saw this 10 mins ago - This guy obviously had issues with the victa blades

https://www.gumtree.com.au/s-ad/spr...ta-lawn-mower-legend-tecumseh/1246934249

Tyler, what can you say! Except 'effing muppets'...

You would think the blade turn up/down would give him some idea something was not quite right, but they are out there and the problem is they also breed.